This year’s Magis Adventure gathered 140 adolescents from various parishes across the Archdiocese of Saigon, alongside participants from the Dioceses of Xuan Loc, Buon Me Thuot, Ba Ria, and Da Lat. Conducted over three sessions in June, the programme was a seamless collaboration involving the Jesuit Scholasticate, the Jesuit Education Ministry, and the Rong Viet Life Skills Center. Grounded in the criteria of being safe, Catholic, and dynamic, the curriculum built on previous years’ activities while introducing strategic improvements.
More than 30 collaborators were involved in the programme, including active catechists from the Archdiocese of Saigon and the Diocese of Xuan Loc; religious sisters from the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Thu Duc, the Queen of Peace, and the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary (Chi Hoa – US Province); as well as Catholic university students from Dong Nai and Thu Duc. A notable hallmark of this cohort was its high level of professional expertise, featuring five master’s degree holders in psychology and education, alongside specialists in psychology, sociology, and pedagogy. This professional involvement significantly strengthened the programme’s academic and formational quality.
Strict safeguarding protocols and practical measures to protect minors were implemented from the outset—a pioneering practice for all collaborators within the Vietnamese pastoral context. To qualify for direct pastoral accompaniment of the Magis Adventure students, all collaborators were required to complete a rigorous three-day training seminar. At the start of each session, lay collaborators and Jesuit personnel reaffirmed their adherence to the code of conduct through written commitment. A distinctive feature was the daily evaluation conducted in the spirit of the Ignatian examen, which allowed real-time adjustments and continuous quality improvement.
The programme benefitted from the strong synergy between the Society of Jesus and partner organisations that provided human resources and professional insight. The Rong Viet Life Skills Center supplied Catholic personnel and adapted its curricula to align with the programme’s pastoral objectives. Diocesan clergy, Passionists, and Carmelites presided at daily Masses. While organised under Jesuit auspices, the programme embodied an authentic spirit of openness and synodality, enriched by the support of clergy and religious from diverse spiritual traditions.
Pedagogically, the programme integrated theory and praxis. Life skills imparted during morning sessions were applied in afternoon activities using visual and experiential methods. This was complemented by a “Journey of Charity,” in which students visited and assisted solitary elderly individuals and children with disabilities, helping them internalise lessons in Christian charity and service. The curriculum also introduced a distinct innovation within contemporary Catholic summer education programmes by including a module on “Catholic Skills”, teaching students about sacred vessels, the proper folding of liturgical vestments, preparations for Eucharistic Adoration, navigating the four Gospels, and using the thurible.
Magis Adventure immersed the youth in a profoundly spiritual yet welcoming atmosphere. Participants’ evaluation indicated strong appreciation for spiritual conversations within their “Magis Circles,” the daily examen, and Eucharistic Adoration. This reception underscores that divine grace works in young people in profound yet simple ways.
The cooperation between religious and laity spanning diverse professional disciplines and spiritualities cultivated a holistic educational environment. Its most significant pastoral fruit is that the religious sisters and catechists have actively begun integrating safeguarding protocols, the examen, group spiritual sharing, and evening Eucharistic adoration into the summer ministries of their respective congregations and parishes.
John Baptist Nguyễn Phi Long SJ
